Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Are these crocodile scabbard sudanese ? swords tourist pieces ?

Jim McDougall · 22nd May 2019, 11:15 PM

This is an excellent topic, and I brought it up about 15 years ago, about the use of crocodile hides and taxidermy on Sudanese weapons. The resulting consternation was troubling, but it seems we have more reasonable perspective by this time on matters which involve other cultures and times.

In considerable research on Sudanese weaponry, I did find that the use of crocodile hides was indeed prevalent on many of the weapons used during the Mahdiyya. I have seen examples of weapons in collections which established this as well as individuals handling these in museum context. Accounts of weapons from the campaigns in Sudan which included Omdurman (1898) noted such weapons among captured items.

There was a notable surge in 'souvenir ' collecting after Omdurman and during the Condominium, but it seems the kinds of items were generally items such as spear heads etc. as they were easily transportable by soldiers in their kit. Obviously swords and the like were as well.

As Kubur has pointed out, there would be no need for appurtenances such as carry rings on items intended for such commercial reasons, and frankly the rather grisly character of these taxidermy type mountings were not much favored. I had one of these once, which brought great dismay not only to my wife but anyone who saw it!

In speaking with a Fur tribesman on one occasion, he noted the strips of crocodile belly hide on Darfur kaskara, and that these were regarded as totemic in a manner and indicative of power etc. Such observance is recognized in varied regions, and Briggs (1965) mentions 'crocodile cults' but more on those was not further researched.

I have never seen the 'kassala' type kaskara of more recent times (Reed, 1987; Hunley, 1984) with crocodile mounts of any kind. Most modern weapons from Sudan including knives etc. may have monitor lizard hide mounts, but again have not seen crocodile.

I would suspect the crocodile mounts may have carried further into the Ali Dinar period (up to 1916 in Darfur) and I thought perhaps these may have been used by slavers in these regions as impressive arms worn by 'bosses'. The one I had was with guard similar to the Darfur type (Reed, '87) and older European blade with cosmological figures on blade.

22nd May 2019, 11:15 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,738	This is an excellent topic, and I brought it up about 15 years ago, about the use of crocodile hides and taxidermy on Sudanese weapons. The resulting consternation was troubling, but it seems we have more reasonable perspective by this time on matters which involve other cultures and times. In considerable research on Sudanese weaponry, I did find that the use of crocodile hides was indeed prevalent on many of the weapons used during the Mahdiyya. I have seen examples of weapons in collections which established this as well as individuals handling these in museum context. Accounts of weapons from the campaigns in Sudan which included Omdurman (1898) noted such weapons among captured items. There was a notable surge in 'souvenir ' collecting after Omdurman and during the Condominium, but it seems the kinds of items were generally items such as spear heads etc. as they were easily transportable by soldiers in their kit. Obviously swords and the like were as well. As Kubur has pointed out, there would be no need for appurtenances such as carry rings on items intended for such commercial reasons, and frankly the rather grisly character of these taxidermy type mountings were not much favored. I had one of these once, which brought great dismay not only to my wife but anyone who saw it! In speaking with a Fur tribesman on one occasion, he noted the strips of crocodile belly hide on Darfur kaskara, and that these were regarded as totemic in a manner and indicative of power etc. Such observance is recognized in varied regions, and Briggs (1965) mentions 'crocodile cults' but more on those was not further researched. I have never seen the 'kassala' type kaskara of more recent times (Reed, 1987; Hunley, 1984) with crocodile mounts of any kind. Most modern weapons from Sudan including knives etc. may have monitor lizard hide mounts, but again have not seen crocodile. I would suspect the crocodile mounts may have carried further into the Ali Dinar period (up to 1916 in Darfur) and I thought perhaps these may have been used by slavers in these regions as impressive arms worn by 'bosses'. The one I had was with guard similar to the Darfur type (Reed, '87) and older European blade with cosmological figures on blade.